Hard-left viciousness will tear Labour in two

Momentum’s purge of party moderates is likely to be the catalyst for a much-needed realignment of the centre ground

Every threat is also an opportunity. Even the systematic takeover of the Labour Party by the hard left could end up being a blessing in disguise for those who long to have a sensible, centrist opposition to the Conservatives. The moderates are understandably unwilling to surrender their party to the hardliners but perhaps they are in fact shackled to an old tribe in which they no longer belong. The purge now being embarked on by the Corbynistas is deeply unpleasant and emblematic of the intolerance of the hard left but it could also ultimately liberate those who favour progress and modernity over outdated ideas.

Lord Mandelson, who helped Labour to three election victories, sees Momentum as a much greater threat to the party than Militant…